It kind of sounds like a beginning of a Tinder advertizement. Truth be told, I have never even seen Tinder or any on line dating site or app.

I’m that old.

So old that I am still married to the man I married (the first time!)

As far as horse riding/training and coaching goes, I am looking for long term relationships.

I know, I know, it is always a good idea to have an injection of fun and outsider information once in a while. Take the time and ship in to a clinic or host a clinic at your own stable. I agree.

But,

What do you say to people who go to “coach google” or flit around to different coaches as many times as they change their underwear?

I say, “Buh-bye”. I’m looking for long term students who understand it is more than the ribbon from the horse show.

“Coach Google” does have some good ideas. But, “Coach Google” doesn’t have the history with said horse and rider that I do. They don’t know that the horse was a <insert problem child issue here> or that the rider has <insert physical limitations or other baggage here>.

And horse riding isn’t like putting “tab ‘A’ into slot ‘B'” and hope everything turns out okay.

I’ve done my research.

I’ve looked into your program.

I take notes.

and

I really, really, REALLY want you to learn and progress. Not like some googleweb pages that would like you to subscribe, purchase and tell all your friends

on that note – you can subscribe to the newsletter right here.

If you would like to win a ribbon at a horse show, great, so do I. Some days, however, it is enough to know that your horse went into the ring and stayed calm or jumped all the jumps.

Riding is a journey, not a destination.

This was brought home to me, again, this week, when I spoke with Katherine Deichmann, Texas State Equestrian Team Head coach and 2019 RRP Show Jumping Champion (Whew! that was a mouthful).

To see a replay of the live broadcast visit this link here. At one point Katherine did say that getting to the RRP (Retired Racehorse Project) finals and showing was totally about the journey to get there.

During the time she brought along her mount “TenPin Sugar” she was reminded of how far she had come. Winning the Show Jumping was just the icing on the cake.

Do you look at riding that way as well?

Do you look for and develop students to think that way as well.

Looking for the positive in each moment we have with our horse.

And

Remember what happens in schooling may never happen in the show ring.

Has this ever happened to you? You get into the warm up ring, your horse goes perfectly, soft, forward, jumps properly, listenening entently…

you think you have it made… … … then…

you step into the ring and BLAM – the horse you had in the warm up ring is gone and has been replaced by a girrafe being stalked by a loiness on the plains in the Serengeti. Head up and tension everywhere.

I know the feeling. Deflating isn’t it?

This is when

Riding is a journey, not a destination

REALLY comes into play.

you have to re-assess and understand that it is all part of the journey. The destination is still there. The destination, the end point is to have a kind, sound, well trained horse that can perform when in the ring.

so

Remember you are still on that journey.

And continue on.

And that is where long term relationships come in.

If you are unhappy with your coach or trainer, then by all means pack up your sh!t and find a trainer that you are compatible with.

Don’t wait around until you are truly miserable and make everyone around you miserable as well. But remember that when you switch trainers you will be heading into a new program and it may take a minute to get your bearing.

And by taking a minute, I mean a month. or at the very least a few lessons.

Each trainer has their own program that comes with them. So take the time and “buy in” to their program. That’s why you are paying them the “big bucks”!

 I’m looking for long term relationships that are going to develop the horse, not quick gadget fixes that will lead to broken hearts and brokendown horses.

I travel the backroads. I see people who have been struggling for a long time to get their horses going better and even off their own properties to enjoy trail rides, field hunting and horse shows. They get the best from themselves and they bring it to their horses. We may not win (all the time) at horse shows but we are winners none the less.

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